Previous
Hyperbole
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Key Examples in The White Tiger
Chapter 7: The Sixth Night
Explanation and Analysis—At the Temple:
The White Tiger is a humorous commentary on the unreliability of face-value assumptions. Through instances of dramatic irony, its potent satire exposes all the mistaken impressions and half-hearted illusions that its characters rely upon. One particularly telling moment happens in Chapter 7, when Ashok surprises Balram with a visit to his underground servant’s quarters:
Mr. Ashok lifted up a corner of the net and looked at me, a sly grin on his face.
‘I know exactly what you were doing.’
‘Sir?’
‘I was calling your name and you weren’t responding. So I came down to see. But I know exactly what you were doing…that other driver, the man with the pink lips, he told me.’
My heart pounded. I looked down at the ground.
‘He said you were at the temple, offering prayers for my health.’
Related Themes:
Chapter 8: The Seventh Night
Explanation and Analysis—Blood on My Hands:
After Balram escapes to Bangalore, situational irony often highlights his sudden reversal of fate. As CEO of “White Tiger Drivers,” Balram returns to cars, but this time turns his status as a driver on its head. When Mohammad Asif accidentally kills the bike rider, he arrives at the scene and defends his driver from the deceased’s brother:
Unlock with LitCharts A+‘Look here, son,’ I said, ‘I am the owner of this vehicle. Your fight is with me, not with this driver. He was following my orders, to drive as fast as he could. The blood is on my hands, not his. These girls need to go home. Come with me to the police station—I offer myself as your ransom. Let them go.'
Related Themes:
